A College Diploma in Every Hand
Designing educational policy to leave no child behind is the equivalent of driving forward by looking in the rear view mirror.
The article I read starts off by saying this. We should drop the name “No Child Left Behind” and make the defining goal for schools “A College Diploma in Every Hand.” According to the article, statistics show:
Americans with a bachelor’s degree earn roughly twice as much as those with a high school diploma. For young people who are the first in their families to graduate from college, a degree has the potential to dramatically change their life outcomes and end generations of poverty.
I can relate to this statement because I am the third Coddington (my dad’s side of the family) to attend a four year university. That is a high status in my family.
America is not making the grade when it comes to measuring college success. More than half of college students drop out within their first year of college. This article touched on standardized testing and preparing students for college. It stated that we should teach elementary and middle school students the basics; math, science, reading, and art, and that high school teachers should focus on preparing their students for college success.
High school students would not just learn history or science; they would practice being historians and scientists.
Schools should do more to prepare students for college success. Many schools now offer AP classes and I think this is a great start. But as for the standardized tests, are these really helping prepare students for what’s to come? Bob Lenz, author of this article believes that:
Rather than use standardized testing as the sole measure of learning, Congress should use college attendance and achievement rates for accountability in any comprehensive education bill.
I feel that this is true. We shouldn’t measure a school’s success merely on how well the students performed on the standardized tests. Students have different test taking skills, so this is not a fair way to judge a school’s success. Also looking back to the article, it mentions that “When you challenge students to put their mark on a subject, they will be more motivated to master the facts.” I feel that we need to do more to motivate our students to want to do well in school and to want to go to college. A college degree could change their life.
Article by Bob Lenz-the chief education officer and founder of Envision Schools, which operates four public high schools in the Bay Area.
San Fransisco Chronicle
